


Free

by spadequeen



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-22
Updated: 2013-11-02
Packaged: 2017-12-27 07:58:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spadequeen/pseuds/spadequeen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Only feeling Fenris could bear for a mage is hate. It is not important how nice she is. Or how beautiful her smile is. Or how intoxicating her smell is. Or…Okay that's it. No more Bethany.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Fenris

* * *

Fenris was a free elf. After all those years of living as a slave, he had craved for this freedom. Then, if he wanted to hate mages who were the main source of his suffering and express these feelings, he was free to do so. Nobody could force him to believe otherwise. Even Hawke himself. Yet he still didn't hesitate to try his patience by saying those cursed words;

"Not all mages are evil Fenris."

"You don't know what you're speaking of," he said while taking another sip from his vine.

"I grew up with two mages; my father and my sister. Both of them are the strongest persons in my life. I expect nothing but good from them. How can you make me believe otherwise?"

And here, they were there again. Whenever this argument started at how he could choose an abomination and a blood mage as a companion, it ended in here. His family. Fenris tried a different approach this time,

"You are not a mage. How can you be sure of that? What if it is a daily challenge for them to not to fall for a demon's words? What if your father had another reason to escape from the Circle? What if Bethany is not that strong? How can you take this risk when she and your mother sleep in the same room?"

Hawke was furious now. He could see it. Fenris was waiting for a fist to come when he talked:

"I can't guarantee the actions of Anders and Merrill who became my companions because of my instincts. And, I can't say anything about father who is now long gone. But hear me when I say this, Bethany will not fall for a demon or use her magic for power. She is not  _weak_  as you implied. You don't know her and you can't claim to know her as your whole conversations end in less than ten seconds!"

With this, Hawke left. Even though Fenris still preserved the same thoughts, he had to admit that Hawke had a point. He did not know this girl, Bethany. He actually did not even care to know her as they had been fighting together on daily basis for almost six months. She was Hawke's shy little sister who always has this fragile appearance. And, he had to keep an eye on the abomination and the blood mage, so he didn't have a time left for her. Yet, these reasons shouldn't be excuse for the danger she was exposing. Then, he decided. From now on, he would keep an eye on her too.

* * *

He started to watch her in the battles first. Her moves. Her expressions. He looked for some sign of corruption, yet she didn't show any. Instead, he found other things. She was smart for instance. Her battle strategies were quite unique for a mage. At first he thought, her father taught her well, but in every battle she used different way to defeat her enemy. She was deadly. That's for certain. But every time she killed somebody or something, there was this pained expression on her face even she wasn't injured. He still couldn't understand why. She was tough. In the most dire circumstances, she always went on. Even if she was the last one standing and used all of her mana, she wouldn't waive. He gave her credit for that. Maybe, she wasn't just a simple girl he thought her to be.

Then, when he was sure no one was looking, he watched her in streets. She was charitable. A child in need would not pass Bethany without her notice. She would do anything in her power to ease the child's pain. Although she could not cast any type of healing magic, she was spending most of her free time in the abomination's "clinic" to help. She was spirited. Varric had a point to call her "Sunshine". In the darkest times, she could see the light. The sight of her would cause people to smile. Yet, she was shy. Interestingly shy. Whenever they were in streets of Darktown, Lowtown or Hightown, all men's eyes were prying on her, asuming that Isabella wasn't present of course. Yet they weren't reacting her the way they react Isabella. Instead of whistling and dissing, they became silent near her. In face of every simple act of their affection, she was getting a different shade of red on her cheeks, which was amusing to watch.

And, she was avoiding him. It was strange for him to notice this after all this time. Probably, it was because he did not care before. She could not look him in the eye for more than two seconds. Only conversations they had were in battle and out of necessity. When they walked, she was being extra careful to not to cross his way. This caution was especially for him. She was truly relaxed with the other companions. In fact, one may say she was the darling of the group while he was just a beast, the intimidator. This should not be bothering him yet it did. There was this urge to talk to her which became harder to resist every single day. Why would he want to talk to a mage? Then, he did what every self-opinionated man would do. He reasoned.

_She must be hiding something. She is avoiding me because she knows that I am the only one who can show her up._

That was the best reasoning he came up with, which was too paranoid even for him. Well… _venhedis_.

* * *

Market in Hightown must be in its best days since the Blight. Although most doesn't have money to spend, every citizen of Kirkwall was here in this sunny day. With Varric and Bethany, Fenris was waiting for Hawke to return from trading. This must be his chance. He turned to her and cleared his voice.

"Bethany?"

Slowly, she turned to him. Seem shocked. Her mouth was slightly open while her brows were raised.

"Well, look at that. He actually called you by your name, Sunshine."

Of course, Varric had to interfere. Fenris snorted and ignored his comment. Yet, when he focused on Bethany again, he was not ready for the intensity of her eyes. Two hazel orbs were fixed on him. Probably expecting him to make his point. He was going to. At some point. If he could remember the subject.

"I feel a story is coming," he heard Varric said.

Returning to the subject. What was the damn subject? It must have to do with her being a mage. He was sure he could not come up with a better one. He could feel sweat drops appearing on his forehead. This awkward silence did not seem breakable. And, her intense gaze was not helping either.

"The grumpy elf was trying to find the right words while being lost in the fair maiden's honey eyes. But would the words be enough for him to escape this sweet prison? Or had he ever wanted to escape at all?"

He was going to kill the dwarf. That was the only accurate thought in his head at that moment.

"The crowd fell into silence. Most people made a bet that he could not even form a sentence which makes sense."

Bethany's lips pressed together. Trembling. She must be enjoying this charade. He closed his eyes. His hand on his brow.

"Varric, shut it."

"Said the Grumpy."

With that, he turned to Varric and closed their distance with two big steps. He pulled him up from the lapel of his coat, carried him to the nearest barrel and put him in it. When he returned, Bethany was dumbfounded. She turned her eyes from the barrel to him. Her amusement was apparent.

Then, they both started to laugh. Even it was strange for him to hear himself laugh, he could not stop himself. She, on the other hand, was radiating while laughing. Her cheeks became a lighter shade of red while a dimple he never seen formed in her cheek.

"What the void happened here?"

Garret Hawke approached. A dangerous look on his face. New maul he found on his back. Fenris could hear skulls cracking with only one look of it. Hawke was beside him before he breathed again. He could see he was in danger. He felt Bethany was tensed too.

Then, of course, even from the barrel, Varric interfered again.

"Well, Hawke, it's a long story involving ugly brother of mine, three little nugs and Arishok in a pink dress. I feel you are excited, but first things first get me out of here."

Hawke laughed and went to pull Varric out of barrel. Without waiting, Varric started his story as a way of thanking.

Thanks to Varric, both were going far.

With a sigh of relief, he turned to Bethany who now carrying a smile on her face.

She did not look at him again that day.

He, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what was that strange feeling he felt in his belly when she smiled at him.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Bethany

* * *

"Who is he?"

Bethany choked the tea she was drinking.

"Who is who, Mother?"

"The one that caused you smile by yourself for nearly a week."

Leandra Hawke was smiling. And, it was not one of her usual smiles. It was that deadly I-have-been-there-when-I-was-at-your-age smile.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

" My dear Bethany, after nineteen years of living together, I thought we were close" she said over-dramatically.

"Very funny, Mother. Garrett would be proud of your skills."

"Where do you think he got his skills, hmm?" and she took the bait.

"Father?" she asked innocently.

"Malcolm? He wasn't funny at all. I never understood whether he was jesting or being serious."

"Sounds like Garrett."

Speaking of the devil, Garrett entered the room. He was covered in blood, which was becoming alarmingly normal for him. It must be one of his  _street cleaning_  days.

"Bethany, we have to go to Sundermount," he said apologetically. She knew how Garrett hated to use her in battles. Every single fight was a gamble for them. Even though she did not like killing, she could not bring herself to leave Garrett alone in this mess.

She smiled at him reassuringly, "I will be ready in a second."

She went to her room to get her staff. She could still hear her mother speaking through the paper-thin walls.

"At least eat something before you leave. I know a bath is only a dream."

"I will eat. Don't worry, Mother. We will be back by dinner"

When they left the house, Bethany saw Anders and Fenris waiting near the staircase. She smiled at Anders who smiled back warmly. Then, she turned Fenris. Their eyes met for only a moment, yet time seemed to stop. She broke eye contact immediately and started a conversation with Anders just to escape from his gaze. Questions raced through her mind.  _Why did he affect her so much? Why was he no longer ignoring her? Why did she always feel his gaze upon her? What should she do?_

The relationship between Fenris and her was…not complicated. At least it hadn't been until recently. He called her a viper and warned Garrett that she would strike him when he least expected it. She thought him an ass. She did not tell this to his face, but later in the Hanged Man, when Anders asked her thoughts, she earned a drink from him for all the laughs she caused.

After a few weeks Fenris became their official companion. Garrett told her his skills were useful, and he needed them to defeat his former master. Therefore, he would contain his hate for mages while being near them. However, he never quitted his habit of making innuendos. In his eyes, Anders was an abomination and Merrill a blood mage: the good features they had valued nothing. On the other hand, he was being careful around her. Once, she wondered what Fenris would call her if Garrett were not around – mage, witch, or maleficar seemed the most likely. She hated him for that. Therefore, to prevent any conflict that might happen between them, she chose to avoid him. She did not talk to him, look at him or walk near him. He did not even notice. Did not seem to care. Not that she was upset about it. This system seemed to work until last week. And then, he said her name with the nicest tone and looked at her with those deep green eyes. All this history evaporated in one second.

"and then Knight-Captain Cullen confessed his love to me."

" Wait. What?!"

Anders laughed.

"And now she listens."

She turned to him. "I…am sorry."

"You seem distracted these days. Any particular reason?"

"No," she said. Maybe too quickly. This made Anders chuckle.

"Okay then, keep it to yourself. But I will be offended if I hear the story from Varric."

She smiled. Remembering last week.

"Don't be. Even  _I_  may learn the story from Varric."

Their laugh was cut by a fire-arrow that passed between them. Sundermount. Land of the Blasted. She was already sending her famous fireballs in the direction of the attack before a second arrow was released. Garrett took his maul while Fenris activated his markings. Three archers and four warriors she saw; with that white flowing outfits, they seemed like slavers. Fenris was more aggressive because of that, but consequently he became less careful. While he was taking one of the warrior's heart out, he did not see one of the archers equipped daggers and started to fight offensively. She cast Winter's Gasp, and the sneak attack the rouge planning for Fenris was prevented at the last second. He was surprised to see a dagger on his back when he turned. He released his sword and the frozen rouge shattered before him. With Garrett crushing the last warrior's head, the fight was over. Fenris was looking at her. Then instead of performing his usual nod of appreciation, he spoke;

"Thank you."

Bethany shivered. She nodded and followed Anders as a way of escape again.

* * *

The sun was setting when they found the map Master Ilen requested. On the road back to Kirkwall, Anders was speaking to Garrett with his low tone. It must be one of his freedom for mages speeches. They were getting far as Bethany found herself walking with Fenris. Not knowing what to do, she unbound her red scarf from around her throat to bind it again as she always did when she was nervous.

"You are attached to that scarf" Fenris observed. "Why?"

Great. Just great.

"It is a long story" she tried to evade.

"It is a long road" he persisted with a smirk.

He was not looking at her, yet he was waiting. He seemed really interested in the subject. So, she decided to tell the whole story.

"Carver was always the aggressive one among us. He always picked fights with other kids. Beating them or getting beaten were his favorite sports. One afternoon, I found him sitting under a tree and there was blood all over his face. He said one of the kids threw a rock at him. His eyebrow was split open. It must have been hurting him but he was trying not to cry. I was scared and felt useless because I could not help him." She stopped to breathe again. It was always hard to talk about Carver. "Then when I touched his face, a white light appeared in my hand and the wound was closed in a blink of eye."

Fenris was surprised. "You healed him."

"Yes, I did. That was the first time I showed sign of magic, but for what cost? There were templars in the area. They sensed my magic and started an investigation. I still can't forget Father's expression when he found out what happened. He tried to hide me but the templars were not quitting. I was scared and could not stop crying. On the day of our escape, Garrett came to me. This scarf was in his hands. He said it was enchanted and that the templars could not sense my magic if I bound it around my neck. Surprisingly, it worked. Templars stopped our carriage, but then they let us pass the town. When I grew older, I learned that the scarf was not enchanted. Yet I still think it possess a charm of luck." She must be smiling right now. "I know it is silly to think it can still protect me from templars while I am carrying a staff nearly long as I am."

"It is not silly," Fenris said, "and it suits you."

Was he flattering her? She felt her cheeks redden. How she hated her cheeks.

"Thank you," she managed to say.

They were in Kirkwall sooner than she thought.

* * *

The waiting was over. After months of hard work they finally managed to collect 50 sovereigns. Garrett was preparing for the expedition. Along with Varric, he decided to bring Anders and Merrill after he talked with their mother who was scared for Bethany. Although she wanted to go and help, she could understand his reasons.

Before the day of the expedition, Garrett invited all of his companions to the Hanged Man for a final speech which was only three words:

"Drinks on me!"

She hoped he had saved an extra sovereign for that after she saw Isabella's drinking. Only a sponge could be compared to her, yet she seemed having fun.

"Bethany, you should taste this sodding ale. It tastes like piss, but it feels good."

 _Why not,_  she thought. She was waiting for her drink when a man came near.

"Hello, love" he slurred.

He was drunk. Apparently. As he did not seem to know who she was or what her brother's weapon of choice could do to him. She felt sorry for the man and tried to ignore him.

"Hey! I am talking to you. Want to get to know me and my legendary friend?" he said as he pressed himself to her.

Then she saw a blue flash. Before she could figure out what was happening, Fenris was beside her and holding the man from his throat.

"Get lost if you want your  _legendary_  friend to remain attached to you."

Garrett was beside them in seconds. He was carrying one of his craziest smiles which was the exact one that always got her into trouble

"I think I might have an idea," Garrett said,"Fenris meet me in Varric's room after I'm done with this idiot."

They exchanged the man like a sack of potatoes and Garrett went outside.

Now all eyes within the Hanged Man were upon them. She forced herself to look at him, yet he was looking at his feet.

"I…thank you."

"It's nothing"

She could hear Varric's laugh even from a distance. She saw Garrett came back and Fenris followed him to Varric's room.

She needed a drink. Or maybe three.

On her second ale, she wasn't nearly drunk as she wanted. Isabella could not seem to stop talking since the incidence. She was asking questions, and Bethany could not understand their real purpose.

Then, she saw them. Garrett was still carrying that Maker damned smile while Fenris' face was white as sheet. He looked like he just made an agreement with the demon.

Fenris went straight to the exit as Garrett came near her.

"Bethany," he took a deep breath before he dropped the bomb, "you are going to stay with Fenris while I'm gone."


	3. Chapter 3

Fenris

* * *

When he arrived to High Town, Fenris was on the third round of his curse list which he created for the dire circumstances.  _Bethany is going to stay with you, while I'm gone._ He thought Hawke was jesting. He even chuckled a bit. Then he realized that the smile Hawke carried was not sarcastic but a sadistic one.

He remembered how he tried to reason with him.

_"Hawke, do you think it is wise to trust her with me?"_

_"I think you underestimate yourself. You are a very capable warrior." He was pretending to not understand. Fenris was losing patience._

_"It is not that I couldn't protect her," he took a breath to continue, but Hawke was too fast:_

_"Then, there is no problem."_

_"She is a mage," Fenris finally managed to say._

_"You don't say," Hawke smirked."That did not stop you before."_

_That damned drunkard. He just had to hit on her with his dirty mouth. This should not have bothered him. Her brother was present and could handle the problem, yet when he saw that excuse of man pressing himself to her,_   _his vision turned red. He was beside them before his brain had finished processing his actions._

_Hawke was looking at him. He was now carrying a serious expression:_

_"Nearly half of Kirkwall has seen her casting spells. They are holding their tongues for fear of my wrath, yet I cannot use this fear while I am gone on the expedition. She will be exposed to the danger. Templars might find her, and I know she will not resist them when they do."_

_Fenris urged to say, Bethany belonged in the circle, yet the lump in his throat prevented him from uttering these words._

_"I know you think magic corrupts everything," Hawke said as he neared him, "but I also know Bethany is an exception, and she deserves to be happy more than any of us. I am asking you to give her this chance."_

_Fenris was baffled by Hawke's sincere words. He waited a minute for a final hope of opposing. Unfortunately, his mind must have already made the decision._

_"Fine," he heard himself saying._

_Hawke let out a breath, "I knew I could trust you."_

_He was turning to leave when he heard Hawke spoke again, "One last thing," Hawke put his hand on Fenris' shoulder, "hurt her, and I'll make Danarius the least of your concerns."_

Fenris finally arrived to the mansion as he finished the third round of the list. He opened the door and familiar scenery welcomed him. There was dirt in everywhere. Webs became a second ceiling while rats milled about like they were the real owners of the mansion.

_She will go to Circle willingly after seeing this._

What was he supposed to do? He couldn't host her, as he was not the host. He activated his markings, and the rats were gone in a second. It always fascinated him how his lyrium affected them. Then, he went to second floor of the mansion with the hope that other rooms he didn't use might come in handy. He scanned them rapidly. Too dark. Too dirty. Too haunted. He was losing hope when he came to the last room. This room was locked when he first came to the mansion, but there was no sign of movement. So, he did not bother himself with opening it, but now it seemed necessary. He forced the door, yet it did not affect the heavy barrier. He used his great sword then. After his second strike, the lock was destroyed. Fenris knew this room would be hers when he entered it. The moonlight was blessing the room with its glorious silver light, leaving this isolated place with a significantly more peaceful feeling than much of the mansion. Based on the fine furniture, it must have been the magister's who owned the mansion before. He opened the window and took a deep breath.

Fenris was changing the sheets when he realized what he was doing. He, who happened to be a slave of a mage before, was willingly changing the sheets for another mage to make her comfortable. He left the room immediately as he started the round four of his curse list.

He needed to drink. It was early in the morning when he dozed off thanks to the effects of wine.

_They were laughing. That lovely dimple appeared on her cheek again when he looked at her. She said his name with her bell-like voice…Fenris…He actually liked the sound of his name coming from her…Fenris_ … _he felt like he was being pulled to somewhere._

"Fenris," her voice was sharp.

He opened his eyes. Bethany Hawke was standing beside him, a disapproving look on her face. _How lovely_. He would not let her boss him from the first day, would he?

"Second floor, fourth room from the left. Suit yourself," he said while trying to seem disturbed by her presence.

She scowled and left him alone. He did not see her again that day.

* * *

On the second day, he heard her footsteps hurrying to the exit, but she should have known he would not let that happen  _that easily_.

"Where do you think you are going?"

She looked like a cat caught in the act.

"To the Hanged Man," she faltered, "to see Isabela."

Fenris could not blame her. She must be bored.  _On her second day._  Not that it was his job to entertain her.

He took his great sword and pointed to the door, "Lead on."

She seemed surprised, "You are coming?"

"Apparently."

Isabela seemed more than pleased to see them. She ordered them drinks, but before they had taken one sip, she blurted out her wish. She needed their help to steal something which would help her end her debt to someone who could be extremely dangerous if not dealt with. They did not need to know what they would be stealing and whom from . "Ignorance is bliss," she said to justify herself.

He did not like this, yet Bethany seemed eager to help.  _That bored?_

Bethany looked at him for approval, a silent plea in her gaze. He swore under his breath and nodded.

"We will help," Bethany finally said.

Isabela's excitement was apparent, "Go on then, this ale isn't worth your time anyway."

Then the whole day was spent killing Carta smugglers, waiting for Isabela to steal the papers she needed, and surprisingly delivering these papers to the Senechal called Bran. The senechal met them in a secret room in Viscount's Keep. As he checked the papers, he let out a breath and smiled approvingly. Fenris noticed the senechal's eyes stayed a bit longer on Bethany. He pressed five sovereigns to Isabela's hand while whispering something to her ear. Isabela was smiling:

"In your dreams,  _messere._ "

When they left the keep, Bethany spoke:

"Where do you know him from, Isabela?"

"'Where' would not be the question I would ask."

"Blooming Rose," Fenris said.

"Way to go, elf," Isabela smirked, "but how well do I know him? Hmm, that's a whole other story."

Then, Bethany asked the inevitable question, "I guess you've been with a lot of men."

"Men. Women. Elves. A dwarf in drag once, but I don't recommend that."

Bethany's only answer was a single "Oh."

"Aw... you're blushing! Why? How many lovers have you had?"

How does Hawke avoid these banters? It must be a talent. He noted to ask Hawke to teach him.

"I-I never—"

_You are not interested. Don't seem interested._

"You're a virgin? That brother of yours was holding out on you, wasn't he! Don't worry, Sweetness. We'll get you a night at the Blooming Rose. On me!"

Fenris did not need to look at Bethany to understand her state. She must be the same color as her scarf by now.

"That's, um, very generous."

"I'm a giver."

And now, he had to protect her from Isabela, too. He silently started the fifth round of the list.

* * *

On the third day, she came to him. "I want to go to the Chantry," she said, "to pray for my brother and my friends."

Chantry. It sounded innocent enough at first. Fenris did not question her further. They went to Chantry while sun was still rising. Bethany walked straight to the chapel and knelt as she started praying. Not knowing what to do, he leaned against one of the columns and waited her.

"Fenris, my friend, it is always a pleasure seeing you," Sebastian approached.

"Likewise," he said. Sebastian was one of the little group he did not mind spending time with.

"So, have you decided to turn to the way of Andraste?"

"No," he pointed Bethany, "but she sure did."

Fenris saw Sebastian's eyes sparkle at the sight of her.

"She should be in the Circle," he said.

"Yes, she should." Fenris could not argue with that.

"Yet, you are hiding her," Sebastian was looking at him intently. Like he was trying to understand what he was thinking.

"Yes, I am."

Sebastian chuckled, "Have faith in Maker, Fenris. He is surely wiser than any of us."

Bethany was standing. She must be finished with her praying. When she turned to them, she saw Sebastian and smiled instantly. Her smile was brighter than the sun, and he could not look somewhere else.

Fenris felt Sebastian tens like he was trying to restrain himself.

"It's pleasure a seeing you Lady Hawke," he heard Sebastian saying.  _Lady Hawke?_

Bethany's cheeks turned to red in a blink of eye. Just what was he missing?

"You are still hanging on to 'lady' I suppose," she said, smiling.

"You deserve no less, my lady."

At that moment, Fenris realized that the chantry brother presented more of a danger than both the templars and Isabela. Which round he left his list, again?

* * *

On the fourth day, Fenris was determined to not go out. He needed rest from all of this nonsense. He was lying on the divan with the intention of sleeping. Then, he heard her scream. He was in her room within a second. He found her shaking with fear, yet he could not see anyone other than her in the room. He closed the distance between them and finally saw the reason of her fear.

There was an enormous ice cube in the middle of the room. Inside of this cube he could spot a mouse no bigger than the palm of his hand. She must fear rats. She could fight fearlessly against ten Qunari warriors, but she feared a single mouse. He chuckled at the thought.

"It's not funny," she said angrily.

"If you say so," he smirked.

"Just get rid of it," she said under her breath.

He checked the thick ice with the tip of his sword, "No need. I don't think he will bother us again until next summer."

She came to stand beside him then. Her anger was apparent. It was amusing to see her in this state. Will she threaten him now?  _With what,_  he wondered.

Her voice was deadly when she spoke, "I'm going to clean this place. Don't you dare try to stop me."

Fenris stood rooted to the spot, completely dumbfounded as Bethany whirled into action.


	4. Chapter 4

Bethany

* * *

The first thing Bethany did was get rid of the army of rats.  _Just how could he live like that?_ She found a special poison in the storage room where she also found cleaning supplies. Then she went to the cellar to get some cheese for bait. When she took one of the cheap looking cheeses, she felt some movement. It must have been one of those damned rats. She left the cellar immediately.

After setting up the mouse traps, she went to the hall to deal with the webs. She was casting Flame through the ceiling when she saw him. Fenris was on the stairs, watching her. His expression was pure horror _._   _Priceless._  She tried to hide her smile while continuing to send flames to the ceiling. After dealing with the vermin of the mansion, she started cleaning. While training as a child, her father had thought her to use her magic in variety of ways. If she could concentrate on specific elements, she could move them with her will. Her favorite was always water which was easy to control and fun to play with. By using her magic, she pulled the water from the buckets, turned it into a whirling shape and sent it to the floor. Five hours later she had finally finished with the first floor. Her stomach was growling, and Fenris was not around,  _again_. Not that she wanted to eat with that prick.

Bethany went to the cellar with the hope to find something to eat. She was searching for some dried meat when she felt that presence again. The cellar was dark, so she could not see the source of the movement. She cast Light and sent the glowing orb to the dark corner. And then she saw it: a giant spider. A  _bloody_  giant spider was standing in the corner. Its enormous legs were slightly moving as her Light spell ended. She hurried to the exit, shaking with anger.  _He will answer to this._

Bethany went to his usual hiding place and found him sharpening his sword probably for the seventh time today.

"There is a giant spider in the cellar," Bethany stated while she kept her voice cold as possible.

Fenris finally turned his head from the sword. "You mean Alfredo?"

"You  _named_  it?!" her voice pitched high against her will and she could not stop her second question, " _Alfredo?_ "

"He is an Antivan giant spider, the name seemed suitable," he said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

_This is not happening._

"Don't be that surprised. In Tevinter, giant spiders have been widely used to guard cellars. Like cats catching rats, these spiders eat the hostile animals."

"And it won't eat you, I presume," Bethany stated. She was still trying to recover from the first shock.

"We have a mutual understanding."

"May  _I_  kill it then?"

"I prefer you not. He has a great taste in wine."

_Maker._

"You should give him a chance. He is one of a kind," Fenris said as he got up, "Come. Let me show you."

They went to the cellar. Fenris chose some expensive looking cheese and dried meat, and he put them on the table. He called  _it_  with that name again. The giant spider was beside them in a second. It was bigger than she remembered and it had a brown torso and thin dark brown legs. Giant spider  _Alfredo_  scanned the table as if it was evaluating what Fenris chose for dinner. After ten seconds, it turned to one of the wine racks, pulled a bottle with its three legs and brought the wine bottle to them.  _Just what is wrong with this place?_ Fenris looked to the wine, raised an eyebrow and took another wine bottle from the racks. Alfredo's reaction to Fenris' choice was simply a shriek. It quickly took the bottle from Fenris' hands and pushed its own choice to him. Fenris opened the bottle, smelled it and served the wine into two glasses. He gave her the other glass after he tasted from his. Alfredo, just when she started thinking of it as Alfredo, was waiting for her…to taste the wine she assumed. She slowly drank the wine, and to her surprise, she actually liked it. Then, she nodded to the giant spider. Unless her imagination was running away from her, Alfredo seemed pleased by her reaction. It raised a leg for them to wait and left. After couple of minutes, it returned slowly while carrying a jar in its legs. Alfredo carefully opened the jar with another leg and extended it to her. The jar was filled with green olives she had never seen. All four pair of Alfredo's eyes was on her as he-  _he?_ \- waited for her expectantly. "He wants you to taste it," Fenris said.  _This can't be real,_ she thought, yet she could not help but to taste the olives. They were _delicious_.

"Thank you," she said to the giant spider.

Alfredo's eyes were beaming with delight.

When they got out of the cellar, Fenris spoke. "You liked him, didn't you?"

"I…" she was not accepting the defeat that easily, "it's not normal to have a giant spider as pet."

"Yet you liked him," Fenris stated as it was obvious.

She let out a groan as Fenris chuckled.

* * *

On the next day, Bethany finished the cleaning of the second floor. Even though she was pleased with her work, she felt exhausted and dirty. Her usual outfit needed cleaning. She decided to make use of the private bathroom located inside of her room. After washing her outfit, she hung it to dry. Then, she filled the bath tub and warmed the water with a simple fire spell. Feeling the warm water swirl around her body had always had a soothing effect on her. Relaxing in the water, she used her jasmine soap to properly clean herself. She finished with bathing and dried herself, went to her room, passed the frozen mouse statute- which was still waiting for Fenris to get rid of- and checked her outfit. It was still damp. She searched her belongings and found what she was looking for.

The housedress. She was thirteen when Garret came home with the deep blue fabric. He knew she loved dresses and they could not afford them, so he had gambled with an Orlesian salesman and won the fabric. She had been delighted that day. Bethany and her mother spent days deciding what to do with that simple piece of cloth. Then her mother decided with a simple pattern which can be adjusted if Bethany grew out of it. However, they did not know that she would grow nine inches taller that summer as her breasts came into existence enthusiastically. Therefore, now, bottom of the dress came barely to her knees while its tight sleeveless top was a desperate attempt to cover her bosom. She knew she could not wear this in public, but she was too attached to the dress to put it out of use. As a result, the dress became a housedress nobody beside family members could see on her. Bethany did not mind that until last week when her  _thoughtful_  brother had dropped her in Fenris' mansion with next to no warning. Now, other than her nightgown, the housedress was the only thing she could wear in the mansion.  _Not that he would care what I wear._

Bethany chased the thought immediately, and looked for her comb in her bag. Then, she realized she forgot it.  _Blast it._  Maybe she could find something useful in the room. She started searching the drawers of the dressing table. In the third drawer she felt an odd, tingling sensation in her fingertips. At first the drawer seemed normal, but now, she could see it was smaller than the others. She forced the backside of the drawer and the wooden barrier dropped. There was a shining object hidden there. Bethany had never seen something like that before. It looked like a compass, but there was not any indicator of direction. As she took the mysterious object in her hands, the sensation that she had felt earlier intensified. Clearly, this object was magical in nature.  _This might be dangerous_ , she thought. Bethany decided to inform Fenris about it.

Still observing the object, she called Fenris as she went down the stairs. She felt his presence and asked:

"I found something in my room. Do you know what this is?"

When she raised her head, she found Fenris… _gawking?_

Fenris turned his eyes away immediately and took a deep breath. Then, he took another deep breath.

"Are you ill?" she asked.

"I wish I was," Fenris said as he took a step away from her.

Not knowing what to make of him, she extended the object.

At one look of it, Fenris scowled, "This is a  _manaverium_ , a curse-holder. It is used for extending the length of a curse. Most magisters used these to sustain their curses even after their death."

"That's horrible."

Fenris smirked, "As is all use of magic."

Bethany ignored his comment and looked to the object more closely. There was a golden dragon carved on the top of it. The angle of its head was a bit awkward. She turned the head to make it right. With a click, the dragon shone brightly a moment and the tingling sensation vanished.

Then, they heard a laughing voice. Before they had figured out where the voice had come from, an elf came from nowhere.

" _Hola_ , my friends," he said with a thick Antivan accent.

Fenris took his great sword and pointed at him, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The elf laughed at the question, "I am, my friend, Sergio the master chief of this mansion, virtuous king of tortillas, unyielding protector of onions and," he stopped to wink her, "loyal  _servant_  of beautiful women. Namely  _your_  Alfredo."

_Alfredo? The giant spider?_

Bethany could not voice these questions as being in the same shocked state as Fenris, yet Alfredo - _or Sergio-_  filled the silence to talk anyway. He started to explain how he was making one of his special tortillas one day -without passing any of the additional information about the recipe- and how his witless employer got angry at him for adding onion to the tortilla he was making. "I tried to explain him that onion was essential, but it was pointless, as a baboon has better taste than that primitive idiot." He took a deep breath as if he came to the most dramatic part, "I might have said this to his face, I don't remember. Next thing I knew, I had eight legs!"

Then he came near her, "After I understood that the pathetic excuse of a magister died, I hoped that the curse would be broken eventually. Unfortunately, it did not. Then, I met our lyrium-shocked  _amigo_  and got my hopes up again, yet he used me for my divine taste of wine and cast me aside like a…pardon me, I can not use that word near you, my lady," he said as he gave an offended look to Fenris who was turning to purple at that point.

Alfredo took her hand, his brown eyes shining with appreciation, "Thanks to you my dear lady, I am an elf again. I am in your debt forever," and he kissed her hand.

"And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some fresh air," he said. All she could do was to nod. Then, Alfredo left the mansion.

When she turned to Fenris, she saw he was still carrying that shocked expression. Not being able to control herself anymore, Bethany burst out laughing.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is the result of Author's love for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Bethany

* * *

Bethany was bored. Alfredo who was the new joy in the mansion and constant laughing source of hers was gone to look for job. Only thing he said before he left was "The answer, my  _bella_ , is tortillas." As being expected, they became best friends in no time. They were inseparable. They ate together, sang together and almost slept together which was prevented by very furious Fenris.

Fenris…He became quite invisible in the mansion. He never joined their meals which were delicious thanks to Alfredo. He was always in that dark room, probably sharpening his sword to the void. Once, she caught him watching them singing. When their eyes met, the look in his face was so…sad yet… _cute._  Like a puppy. Carver would have pet him if he had the chance. The thought was too hilarious for her that she could not hold herself from laughing. Fenris left at the instant. She still felt sorry for that.

Why the void was she feeling sorry for that? As if she cared for  _him_. Not in a million year. She chased the thought immediately and looked for some distraction. There was a huge library in the mansion, but most of the books were in Imperial Language, and remaining ones were quite boring, too. Then, she remembered. Varric's book. Before leaving for the expedition, Varric motioned her aside, and gave her a book. "In case of emergency," he said and winked. Well, to Varric, only unavoidable boredom could be considered as an emergency. So, she took the book out of her bag.

There was no word but a single embossed picture on the green hard cover of the book. In this picture, a shape of dwarf, who was really similar to Varric, was gazing a shape of  _cloud?_ She sat on the window ledge and opened the book.

**_The Cloudgazer's Guide to the Surface by Varric Tethras_ **

_"The Cloudgazer's Guide to the Surface is a remarkable travel book for the adventurous dwarfs who want to see somewhere else than cramped tunnels._   _It has been compiled and_ _recompiled many times over many years and under many different editorships. It contains contributions of a very handsome surface dwarf who is known for his wit and humor throughout Thedas. Therefore, you are in good hands dear readers. Let's prepare you for the Surface!_

_First thing you should now… you are not going to fall into sky. Yes it is blue and enormous. Yes, it can change colors. And yes, Sky can sparkle at nights (you can find what is night from page 252), but it won't eat you._

_Secondly, a towel can be massively useful thing for a traveling surface dwarf. Sky may piss on you time to time, you see. Therefore, I highly suggest you to carry a towel with you to keep you safe and dry._

_Thirdly, apart from the place you grew up, surface possesses various kind of dangers. You may end up dead countless times but don't let these thoughts trouble you. Just enjoy your time, you are in surface!_

_A final and vital thing to say…Don't Panic._

Bethany was laughing. When she got time to breathe again she opened a random page of the Guide.

**_Death:_ ** _Avoid it._

_Hey, I mean it._

_Maybe you haven't met the crossbow of your dreams yet._

_Still here? Okay then._

_If you are a highly suicidal dwarf and made your final decision, then there are several ways of death. For example, if you are in city named Kirkwall, you can mess with human called Hawke directly or try to flirt with his sister, Bethany, who is considered as a rare beauty among all kinds of species. In either way, you are dead before you could say "Tezpadam". Another effective way to die is via talking to a lyrium-branded elf. Go to him and say that you wish you were a mage so that you could rule everyone. In this way, you may have the opportunity to analyze your beating heart before you die. Last but the least suggested way is reading a manifesto called Plight of Mages. I know, death by reading may sound impossible, but this manifesto was so boring that, during a mandatory recitation, nine of the audience died of internal haemorrhaging while the last standing one could escape by chopping his leg off. Therefore, I highly suggest you to apply to the other ways…_

She was on the floor now. Breathing became much harder since she was laughing madly. Then, she saw a movement under the door. It must be Fenris.  _He must read this,_ she thought. She could not answer why, but she really wanted to share this with him. She jumped to her feet and went to the door on her tiptoes. Still smiling, she opened to door, and a shocked-Fenris-view welcomed her.

She raised the book, "You must read this."

His expression changed from shocked to sad in a second.

"No," he simply said, looking at his feet.

"Why?"

He raised his head, now she could see he was angry.

"Do you think they teach slaves to read?"

_Oh._

She was a complete idiot. She really was. Fenris was looking at her, probably waiting for her response. He did not deserve this, yet he was born at the wrong time, in a wrong place like her. Not knowing what his reaction would be, she made her decision;

"I could teach you."

Fenris scowled, "I don't want your pity,  _Mage_."

Again with the old-jackass behavior. How could he? She was losing her patience:

"It is not pity, you stubborn Elf. It is what friends always do."

He raised his eyebrow, "Are you suggesting we are friends now?"

_Jackass._

"Oh you don't want me as your enemy."

New expression formed in his face was nothing but amusement.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N In Orzammar, Surface dwarves who have lost their Stone sense are called Cloudgazer.


	6. Chapter 6

  
Fenris

* * *

 

Fenris didn't know. He didn't know why he agreed to do these lessons. He didn't know why learning to read was harder than he imagined. He didn't know why he was sweating all the time or why it felt warmer near her. He also didn't know how she could smell that divine.

More than anything, though, he didn't know why he was happy. Like a fool. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe he was really sick. Or maybe it was that damned dress. His face was burning all the time, and all he was doing was focusing on a word like "wardrobe". He must be looking like an idiot.

"Again with the puppy eyes," his teacher said as though nothing could be worse."Fenris, you are on your fourth day of reading. It's only natural to do mistakes."

Her sweet voice. Always caring, always near.

His only answer was an animalistic groan.

Bethany smiled and read the sentence from the beginning.. As all he focused was her lips.

_She is a mage._

His brain was warning him. For the twelfth time this day.

"Fenris?" she was looking at him.

"Wardrobe," was the only reply he came up with. It felt convenient at first. Then she started laughing.

"I think that's enough for today."

Just when he did become an idiot?

* * *

Fenris hated mornings. When he was a slave, he had to wake up before sun arose, go to Danarius' room and wait for him to wake up. Danarius was never an early riser, but he wanted his wolf to be at his side every single morning. That bastard had always emerged from bed early to urinate to the pot positioned near Fenris and looked at him to find any sign of displeasure. Control was his only shield back then. His master would give him that filthy grin and go back to bed afterwards.

After his escape, mornings became his unique sleeping time. As a way of compensating for his old days, Fenris would not be awake before sun set, unless, of course, Hawke required his assistance. That was before Bethany came to the mansion. For whatever reason, the duty of protecting her was stimulating his guardian instincts. However, it wasn't the same with her. While protecting Danarius, he didn't care if his master was injured, bleeding to death or simply died. That was no longer the case. Since the reading lessons started, every morning, he had woken early to secretly go to her room and listen to her breathing. He couldn't dare to move or to blink as the first hint of dawn filtered into the room and her sleeping form appeared. He listened to her soft breaths until bright light streamed through the window. Why was he doing this was another mystery to him, yet he continued anyway. When he heard her waking, he would sneak out and return to his room. Then, he would be all ears as Bethany's laughing voice filled the house as she prepared breakfast.

This day didn't seem different at first. Another sleepless night. Another early rise. Another covert venture to her room. He couldn't see her as she was sleeping face-down. Her breathing became uneven, and involuntarily he turned to leave. He was closing the door when a voice interrupted him;

"Look who is up," the insufferable elf said cheerily, "I'm glad you finally showed your face, my friend, but you choose a very interesting time and very intriguing place to appear."

Fenris grabbed the elf and brought him downstairs after he controlled his urge to take his heart out. On the other hand, Alfredo was laughing.

"Fenris, my dear friend. You are, ah what was the word, let me think," he said as he started pacing, "Doomed?" he looked at him for approval, "No, it must hold more meaning" he returned his thinking "Screwed?" the headache asked to himself. "No, I can do better," he said. Then suddenly he whirled to him,

"I found it! You are in the soup, my friend."

Not just killing. Torturing first. Then slowly killing.

"You know what? In Antiva, I had a friend just like you. His name was Francisco. He was a good fellow, but he had a thing against lemon. He believed that a dessert is better without lemon. Can you believe it? Anyhow, one day, I made him a carrot cake with walnut and lemon peels in it. He said that was the best thing he had ever eaten. Then, when I informed him about the lemon, he couldn't believe it and refused to eat the cake afterwards. Then I met the mage and agreed to work for him, which leaded me out of Antiva. A year later, I got a letter from Francisco saying that all he could think of was the cake, and he did not want the recipe because, he wrote, 'I don't deserve that cake.' I was sending him the recipe anyway when I got eight legs and… you know the rest of the story. You see, without lemon a desert is simple, but with lemon, it is pure happiness." Fenris was losing his patience, yet Alfredo continued, "without lemon, summers are pointless, ice cream is lonely, the feeling is insufficient, With lemon, however, the taste becomes divine."

What he had done to deserve this?

"Without lemon, life is dull,  _mi amigo_ , and rejecting to eat a cake simply because it includes lemon is idiocy beyond measures," Alfredo said. " Lemon is not a flaw, it completes the cake."

Fenris was going to hit him before he heard familiar footsteps approaching.

"Good morning," Bethany said cheerily, "Fenris, you finally joined us! Alfredo, what are we doing for this occasion?"

"I think my special carrot cake recipe would suffice, my  _bella_." he said while winking at Fenris.

"I think that won't be necessary." Fenris said as he turned to go to his room. Then a hand grabbed his wrist. He felt his markings activate, yet the hand was still holding him. Still glowing, he slowly turned to the hand's owner, "What are you doing?"

"I want you to join us for breakfast," she simply stated. Her eyes was fixed on his, waiting for an answer. Interestingly, "wardrobe" seemed better of an answer than the empty groans sounding in his head now. Before he could say anything, his body did the bidding as his stomach gave one of the strangest sounds in his lifetime. Bethany smiled at him, and he cursed under his breath as she dragged him to kitchen.

This day didn't seem different at first, then Bethany started singing.

* * *

As days passed by, the lessons continued. He started to read without Bethany's help, which was an accomplishment since his brain wasn't at its best these days. Bethany was a patient teacher, however. In face of every grumble, she would smile and correct his mistakes without any sign of frustration. On their fifteenth lesson she gave him the green book she wanted him to read at the beginning, "There is nothing more I can teach you," she said, "You are a great student. I didn't think we could finish before Garret's return, but you proved me wrong."

Hawke's return. How could he have forgotten? It had been over thirty days since Bethany had arrived. Hawke must be on the road back to Kirkwall.

She was going to leave.

And everything would go back to normal. He would not have to protect her or wake up early or have breakfast with that headache. Finally, he would be at ease. He would be…

Alone.

"We should celebrate this," he heard her saying. "Alfredo may prepare something for dinner."

"I know a better option," he said, "Wait for me here."

He went to the cellar and took one of the wines he was saving. He was returning to the room when he heard a voice,

"Aggregio, hmm. I was wondering when you will drink that divine thing." the headache said. "What are we celebrating?"

The elf had a talent to try his patience on daily basis. However, Fenris didn't want to play his game anymore.

"I can…read now" he simply said.

"That's a great thing, my friend! Congratulations."

Fenris felt his face redden.

"Then, tell her I was sleeping." Alfredo said, "And enjoy you evening,  _mi amigo_."

Fenris stood speechless as the elf walked away. Maybe he wasn't that insufferable after all.

Bethany was making a fire when he finally entered the room. He felt her magic through his markings. When he cleared his throat, she immediately ended her spell.

"I am sorry."

She seemed scared. Still, after all this time. This must be his talent.

"No need." he said, "the headac…Alfredo was sleeping," he opened the wine, "Last bottle of the Aggregio. I have been saving it for special occasion. "

Then they started drinking. It had a strong taste which caused Bethany to become red in seconds. They remained silent while watching the fire. Bethany spoke first.

"You never told me how you escaped from Danarius."

It was inevitable, wasn't it?

"You never asked." he said with a hope of drifting away.

"I didn't think you would share that with me."

 _You are the only person I can share anything_ , he thought, yet he didn't speak those words. Instead, he simply said, "It is a long story."

"It is a long night." she countered with a smile. He chuckled at that.

Then he told her about Seheron and the Qunari fight. He told her how he managed to save Danarius and how he got left behind in the end. And then came the hard part;

"There were rebels in Seheron's jungle called the Fog Warriors. They found me and took me in. Nursed me back to health. With time, I grew fond of the rebels. They bow to no master and fought for their freedom. It was beyond my experience. I stayed with them until Danarius finally came for me."

He took a deep breath.

 _She is going to hate me_ , he thought. He continued anyway.

"When Danarius came, they refuse to let him take me. He ordered me to kill them, so I did." His vision became blurred. Their faces swam in his mind's eye. "I killed them all."

Silence was his punishment. He couldn't look at her , and all he could hear was the crackling fire.

"You were a slave. It wasn't your choice."

He looked at her, then. Her knees pulled up to her chest and she rested her chin on them. Her expression was unreadable. He felt his blood rising;

"I should have fought for them. I should have been stronger. It was my fault. I was…I am a monster."

A tear rolled down her cheek. But why was she crying?

"Carver died because of me." she finally said, her voice cracking."I was born to be a healer, yet I couldn't cast even the simplest healing spell. I should have worked harder. I should have been stronger. My brother was brutally killed before my eyes, and all I could do was to watch." She was looking at him now, "You can't be monster, you see. If you are, what that would make me?"

The sorrow in her eyes…Could words have power enough to erase it?

"You are not a monster," he managed to say.

Bethany turned to fire as she dashed away her tears. He barely heard her whisper above the snapping of the fire.

"Neither are you."

Control was his only hope as all he wanted to do was to kiss her.


	7. Chapter 7

Fenris

* * *

Later in the night, Bethany dozed off with the effects of wine. As expected, he watched her for a while, probably longer than he intended to. With fear her waking up, he slowly picked Bethany up and carried her to her bed while trying not to feel too happy about it. For a human, she weighted nothing in his arms, or his mind was tricking him again about how perfect she was.

When he put the blanket over her, she murmured something to him ending with "ass".

"Excuse me?" he asked, trying to hide his smirk.

Her eyes was still closed, "Hmm…I thought you were an ass at the beginning," she sleeply said, "but I guess I was wrong."

"You are not too bad yourself," he said, "for a mage," his old self added before he mentally kicked himself.

"For a mage," she repeated sadly as she looked to the ceiling. Her agonized expression was what hit him. Like she was sorry for being a mage. Sorry for who she was. Because of him.

He felt he owned her an apology. Before he could say something, she spoke;

"At least, you speak your mind," she slowly turned other side of the bed, "That's something I expect my friends to do."

Speaking his mind. That was what he was doing, wasn't it? If he could truly speak his mind, instead of spilling out this hatred consuming him, he would tell her she was not weak like the others…that she had a gentle heart…that she was beautiful…that he didn't want her to go.

_I don't deserve her._

He abruptly rose from bed.

He was leaving the room before he heard her, "Night, Fenris"

"Sleep well, Bethany."

_So that I can be at ease._

* * *

It was early in the morning, he heard a thud near window. He lunged at his sword yet could not be successful because of the dagger held against his throat.

"Easy, Elf. I don't want to stab your pretty face. "

"Isabela?"

"Are there any second guesses?"

She was straddling him now, a mischievous smile on her lips. Fenris was losing his patience, " _Why_  are you here?"

"Why? To help of course. Since you've locked yourself up with Sweetness and play blind man on what's happening out of the  _paradise_ , I had to watch out for both of you."

He chose to ignore her innuendo and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Templars are searching for a mage in Hightown. I saw the searching warrant. It allows them to enter every house they believe suspicious. And for some reason, I can feel this mansion is at the top of their checking list."

_No_

Fenris leapt up but again restrained by the pirate.

"I'm not finished yet." Isabela was breathing hardly as if she was using all of her strength, "Remember the slaver Hawke released? Danzig was his name. Somehow he managed to get rid of his employers. I hear, he's looking for you"

He noted to give Hawke his tiger speech again, then asked, "The point?"

" _The point?"_ she repeated incredulously _,_ "the point is, dear Fenris, today she cannot stay in this mansion while you cannot go outside. Therefore, I'm taking her somewhere safe."

 _This would be the rational thing to do,_ he thought before he said a simple, "No."

"No to the part I am taking her? Or no to the part you staying in the mansion?" she asked, smiling.

"No to the part I am leaving her side."

" _Oh._ Isn't this just precious? Never knew you would be the romantic type."

"There is no romantic type," he snarled.

"If you say so," Isabela smirked, "but you'll be exposed to danger out there. And, I don't want to see any drama. So, be careful."

Then, they went to wake Bethany up. She was sleeping so peacefully before Isabela jumped at her. Her scream became a laughter once she realized her visitor's identity.

"Isabela," she said between laughters, "How come you're up, and I am not?"

"It's a long story, Sweetness, but firstly we have to get you out of here."

Isabela didn't wait another second to fill her in. With every word she said, Bethany's frown grew deeper. When Isabela came to the Danzig part, he had to kick her to stop speaking. Unfortunately, Bethany was smarter than that.

"Danzig? Wasn't he the one my brother spared?"

"He is after Fenris," Isabela blurted out, ignoring his warnings.

Then, Bethany finally met his gaze. Disapproval was written all over her face.

She came beside him, "Fenris, I don't like the sound of this."

He shrugged.

"You must stay here."

"No."

Bethany's eyes were burning as he felt paralyzed under their hold.

"Varric will be damn pissed to miss this," he heard Isabela saying.

"I don't know who is Varric, but I already agree," Alfredo said, coming from nowhere.

Isabela bolted from bed, "Zev?" she asked as she slowly drew near Alfredo.

"I'm sorry, I'm not, my dear lady. My mother named me Sergio and my lyrium-shocked friend named me Alfredo. Both name I accept gladly, but a third would do me no good, I'm afraid."

Isabela shushed him impatiently and started to analyze Alfredo, "same eyes, same voice," she mumbled, "hair darker than I remember." Isabela slowly turned him around, "definitely sturdier."

"Are you going to eat him?" Fenris asked.

"Actually…I may," she said, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Being the center of the Isabela's attention, Alfredo seemed intimidated, "Should I be scared?" he whispered to Fenris.

"Absolutely." he answered, chuckling.

He was enjoying the parody when a hand grabbed his wrist and stole his attention.

"Why are you doing this?" Bethany asked as she crossed her arms.

 _Good question_. He swallowed and chose the easiest answer "I gave my word to Hawke to protect you."

"You can be captured by slavers while keeping your  _word,"_ she said, her anger apparent, "I don't want to be the reason of your enslavement or…worse," her voice cracked at the end.

"I'll be fine," he assured her.

Then, he winced with a loud knocking voice from the hall.

"Well, they are fast," Isabella said, finally releasing Alfredo from her grasp.

He wasn't paying attention to her, though. As all he could see was Bethany's face. Her lovely face looked scared and defeated,  _already._

"Maybe it'd be better if I give myself in," she whispered, her voice shaking with fear.

Even the thought of it was enough for his blood to be drained.

He realized he was holding her as if he knew what came next.

Fenris slowly lifted her head to face him. His voice was clear when he finally spoke;

"They cannot take you from me."


	8. Chapter 8

 

 

  
Bethany

* * *

 

_They cannot take you from me._

That's what Fenris said to calm her.

Wrong choice of words.

After that, all she could hear was her accelerating heartbeats. The genuine concern in his eyes was also not helping.

 _You are a mage,_ she reminded herself. As if she would ever forget that.  _He agreed to help you because of your brother. He wouldn't hide a mage willingly. Stop being silly._

She must give credit to her brain for rational thinking, yet his continuing hold on her was nothing near rational.

"Sweetness, pull yourself together. We need to get you out of here," she heard Isabela saying.

Well, at least she got her hearing back.

Isabela dragged Alfredo downstairs, "We will keep them occupied, use the roof to escape."

_Roof?_

How? She was going to ask that before Fenris gripped her arm and dragged her to his room. There was a balcony she had never seen before. It must be hidden under thick red curtains. Fenris approached to the open door cautiously and peeked outside.

"More than ten," he whispered, his grip on her tightening.

Then they heard loud footsteps coming from the hall. Bethany swallowed her whimper. Fenris turned to her then;

"Bethany, I'll climb first," he said, "When they are out of site, you'll come up on that banister and then I'll pull you up."

Bethany nodded obediently.

"And a final thing," Fenris said, "Don't look down."

_Easy said than done._

That was what she was thinking when her feet were hanging in the air freely. Fenris didn't give her enough time to look down, though. He pulled her up in a swift move and let Bethany to catch her breath for a moment.

"We don't have much time," he said after holding her hand, "Don't let it go."

Then the walking began.

The mansion's rooftop was relatively flat, but she found herself stumbling anyway. Only thing that helping her to balance was his hand. His grip was strong while the lyrium brands was giving her a peculiar feeling. When they came to edge of the roof, he turned to her, "Now, the jumping part."

_"Jumping part?"_

He smirked, "I'll climb down by using this column, and you'll hang yourself down from here," he was pointing the edge. "Then, you'll jump."

_He can't be serious._

"And then what? A horrible death maybe?"

Fenris chuckled at that, "Then, I'll catch you."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'll catch you," he repeated, his voice was strangely reassuring.

Bethany couldn't object him, "Okay, but I will hunt you if you don't."

He was smiling before he went out of sight.

She approached to the edge and bent down. Using her arms to carry herself, she hanged her legs. And came the point when she had to jump... _Maker._

She slowly let go one of her arms and prayed he would be ready. One last look she sent his way. He seemed ready. She closed her eyes to gather enough courage, and she let go.

Bethany felt air flowing around her, and she felt ground coming close.

Then she felt his arms around her and his breath on her skin.

When she opened her eyes, she figured how close their faces were. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were causing her blood to rise. Fenris finally put her down. She noticed tips of his ears were reddened. It must be because she was heavy for him. It must be.

"Where do we go now?" she asked.

He was answering before he heard loud footsteps coming towards them. He pulled her with him into an alcove hidden between columns.

"Have you found anyone?" a deep voice asked. She noticed it was Knight-Captain Cullen.

"We haven't, Knight-Captain."

"Did you search the mansion entirely?"

Templar hesitated to answer first, "We couldn't."

"What do you mean you  _couldn't_?"

"There were  _voices_ , Captain."

"Voices?"

"A couple, Sir… Fornicating."

_Isabela._

Bethany tried to suppress her laugh. It was hard as Fenris seemed to suffer from the same trouble.

There was a long pause before Knight Captain talked again, "O-one of them can be a mage. We can't take chances." He said, his voice wasn't that deep anymore, "Maker preserve us all."

Two templars left with reluctance at their steps, and Fenris was even more reluctant to let her go.

_Would he…_

_He wouldn't_ , she told herself.

And she couldn't either. That's the first thing her father had taught her.

 _You must not desire the impossible, Bethany,_ she remembered her father saying. It was the demons she should be aware of. She could not let this kind of thoughts get into her. She would be vulnerable to any seduction then. For a lifetime.

And he was the impossible. Fenris may protect her. He may even be friend with her. Yet he would never-

"The Black Emporium," Fenris said suddenly.

"What?"

"Only the worthy know there. It can be a good hiding place for both of us."

"That's…actually a great idea," she said as she failed to hide her amusement. That caused a grin. A permanent insufferable grin.

They were almost there when she noticed somebody following them. Still carrying that stupid grin of his, Fenris seemed to be in another world. Bethany slowly turned her head to have a look. It was nothing but a girl who looked scared. She called out to the girl, which resulted her running away.

"Who was she?" Fenris asked, finally returning to Thedas.

"I don't know, but she seemed scared and I don't like it."

He cursed under his breath and hastened his steps. She had to run to keep it up with him.

When they finally entered Black Emporium, she let out her breath, "I wish we were in the mansion again."

"After all we've been through to get out of there, you wish to turn back?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"I don't know. It feels safe there…like home."

He turned to her, then. His expression unreadable. He was going to say something before they heard a familiar voice, "Ah, finally…customers. Wait a minute. Not just customers. Bethany!...and the broody elf," Xenon said with his usual rumbling voice, "It's been a long time. You know the rules; don't  _manhandle_ Urchin. He is not for sale. And don't fondle Andraste. That's all I could remember at this particular moment… I'm tired of these plebeian items. Take what you like.  _No charge."_

"Just how did you find this place again?"

Bethany smiled at the question. She looked to the boy who is defined as Urchin, remembering how he was bullied by the Carta thugs and how she managed to freeze them all. Garrett's face was priceless then, seeing the power of her spell which surprised even herself. The boy, on the other hand, was carrying a grin as if he had found something he was looking for.

"By making a friend," she finally answered.

"Naturally," Fenris mumbled, seemed more interested in the artifacts. Not much else to do, she did the same. It didn't matter how many times she came to the Black Emporium. There was always a new item that could pique her interest.

After a little while, however, she found out that Fenris' reactions to the items were more interesting than any other object could ever be. He looked like a boy surrounded by toys, which was amusing for her to see. Therefore, at the end, she found herself watching him instead.

Bethany realized she enjoyed seeing this side of him. His frown after closing the box of screaming. His left eyebrow raised for the honor of King Cailan's  _glorious_  portrait. His confused expression formed after looking to the chest of lost socks. His careless or delighted -she could never tell the difference- face eating the pickled apple of Arlathan. He was adorable, and she couldn't look anywhere else.

At that moment, though, she realized something else.

She was falling for him.

_Well done, Bethany. Now, you may enjoy your demons._

Fenris was looking to the Mirror of Transformation when Xenon broke the silence, "Do not stare too intently at that... on the other hand, please do!"

Bethany came near the mirror and start to explain, "this mirror can alter one's appearance. Hair, eyes, nose. You may even create a new person out of yourself." She looked to her reflection in the mirror, "Sometimes I wonder how I would look like having the same blue eyes as Carver."

"You have very limited knowledge, my dear," Xenon interrupted, "This mirror is not something one can play with. When you alter your appearance with this device, it doesn't just change who you are, but it changes who you were and will be in the future. It selects from one of the infinite possible universes where you were brought up with a different lineage and twists that thread of history into the currently experienced reality. The ripples of this action affect your family and other people's memory of your appearance as well."

Before she could comprehend what was happening, she was on the other side of the store, dragged by a very furious elf.

Fenris was still frowning when he turned to her, "Bethany, don't  _ever_  change anything."

He sounded serious. She was just thinking out loud. She wouldn't have courage to do something like that even she wanted to. She tried to explain it to him:

"I know, I just-"

"No, you don't understand. I don't want to forget anything about-"

The next word never had the chance to escape from him as they both winced at a loud laughing voice.

"Well, well. Look what we have here," said the man who was known as Danzig.


End file.
